Lingering Fingertips
by saruwarui
Summary: Kagome, broken after being tortured by demons and the disappearance of Inuyasha, relies on another man with long silver hair, and entrancing amber eyes. Kagome x Sesshoumaru
1. Prologue

Prologue

She stood by the water's edge, dipping her toes into the cool yet warm water. Scratches covered her legs, blood trickling from them, sliding down her legs to drop into the water. Ringlets formed as the blood mingled into the water. Where was she? When did she loose her way?

She really didn't mind it anymore. She sat down into the water, submerging her legs into the liquid. The water slowly began to seep into the cloth of her skirt. The green turned a darker shade as she watched intently as it moved up the skirt like a creature with no form. Her eyes were a blank stare. How long had they had their way with her? She shuddered from the thought. He hadn't been able to save her. He couldn't even save himself. None of them could. Sobs took over her body as she slapped her palms to her face in attempt to capture her tears. Even if he had survived, things wouldn't be the same. Nothing could change that. She might as well just die here in this river; let her body merge with the water and float until someone found her.

Something in the bushes rustled. Frightened, she let out a gasp of fear, standing up quickly and stumbling backward back onto the shore. Grabbing her bow from its place in the sand and fumbling with an arrow, somehow managing to keep it in place as she aimed.

He stepped through, amber eyes narrowed in puzzlement. He had smelled blood, but he hadn't expected her of all people. She let out a sigh of relief before beginning to sob again.

"Sesshoumaru-san, it's only you." Her body wavered and she fell into the sand. The lake's water lapped at her body. Exhausted she had collapsed, solely from the relief that she was no longer in danger, that even if he was an enemy, she hadn't been happier to see a familiar face.


	2. Chapter 1 The Night in the Cave

Chapter One: The Night in the Cave

Her eyes fluttered open some hours later. Her stomach aching from lack of food and drink, she blinked, trying to register her location. She was no longer by the river's edge, but surrounded by rock instead. A fire lay burning a few feet away from her, and she saw her clothing hanging from a tree just outside the cave. That's where she assumed she was anyway. She was dry and warm, and naked on top of that, wrapped in furs that kept her own body heat lapping back against her.

"I see you're awake." She heard his deep voice echo through the cave. She shivered because she felt it resound within her, a feeling that went down deep to her bones.

"Thank you for saving me." She managed to whisper, and she almost choked on the words her mouth was so dry.

"Your name is Kagome, correct? Obviously my idiot brother was incapable of taking care of you." He brought her a gourd filled with water. Bringing to her lips, she let the cool water slide down her throat, refreshing her entire being.

"He couldn't protect me." She said, choking back a sob. "No one could have. I wasn't even able to protect myself." Kagome wrapped herself up in Sesshoumaru's fur, fighting back tears.

She could see it so visibly in her head; Inuyasha with a claw through his chest, screaming her name, blood flying from his lips. The creatures joining in joyous laughter that echoed around her. She screamed his name, tears flying from her eyes. Vines full of thorns held her in place, cutting into her skin, blood staining through her shirt. He couldn't do anything or Kagome would die. She yelled at him to fight, to not worry about her and he had only looked up at her with those gentle eyes, assuring her everything would be okay.

"No. NO!" Kagome knocked over the gourd, spilling its water over the rocky ground, both hands clutching at her head, tears pooling down her cheeks. Then the rape came. The creatures raped her as Inuyasha cried out helplessly, bleeding his insides out repeating her name over and over, ashamed that he couldn't save her. The creatures had done their best to make her scream in pleasure, scream in fear, do anything to make him struggle. She stood there and cried before him, hoping that it was all a bad dream.

She felt arms around her, scooping her up, her flesh touching the flesh of another. She cried still as a clawed hand gently moved into her hair, stroking her ebony locks as if it were fine silk. Kagome's brown eyes opened wide in surprise. Sesshoumaru held her holding her head close to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, the warmth of his skin was calming, and soon she had even stopped crying.

"Did they murder him?" His voice broke the silence between them. She looked at his downcast amber eyes. He was truly concerned about his brother, even though he himself would never admit such a thing.

"They told me he was dead. I know he can't be. He can't be. They were lying to cause me more pain. In the night when they were sleeping I know I heard him calling my name. I escaped somehow, I tried to find him, but it was so dark and I-and I!" Sesshoumaru's grip on her tightened, causing her words to stop.

"We'll look for him in the morning. My brother may be a fool, but he would not die from such low level demons." Sesshoumaru's voice gave her hope that maybe he was right. She shut her eyes tightly and hoped with all her heart that Inuyasha was alright.

Kagome became suddenly aware of her bare breasts pressed up against Sesshoumaru's own chest. She moved away, covering herself as best as she could as she returned to the warmth of the furs. Sesshoumaru's amber stare seemed to bare into her soul. It was like he could see what had happened to her those nights ago, just by peering into her eyes. She lowered her gaze before realizing something was missing.

"Where are Rin and Jaken? They're normally never too far behind you." Sesshoumaru ignored her question by leaving the cave and walking out into the forest, the entrance once again covered by branches and leaves. Just as Kagome's stomach rumbled, Sesshoumaru returned with a wild boar. He cut it into eatable portions before placing it over the fire to cook.

"Humans have to eat, do they not? Rin has taught me several things about them that I never cared to know. She and Jaken are in a safe place, away from this part of the land."

He didn't have to add anything else to his sentence because Kagome added it in her head. _Because there are dangerous and ruthless demons here…_ She sniffed, feeling like she was about to cry again, but the feeling gave way to hunger as she smelled the meat cooking. As soon as the meat was cooked, Sesshoumaru lowered his blade into the flames, stabbing the pieces and bringing them out of the flames. Kagome wrapped the fur around her before crawling toward the meat, gingerly pulling it off the blade. She ate the food hungrily before laying down again, examining her body.

It was far worse than she imagined. Disgusted by her now 'mutilated' body appeared, she covered up all she could see, snuggling deep in the furs, her eyelids becoming heavy.

"Sesshoumaru-san?" Kagome whispered into the darkness, to see if he could hear her.

"Yes girl?" She caught sight of him. He was not too far behind where she was laying, arms resting gently at his sides as his head rested against the cool rock of the cave. Kagome thought she had never seen anyone look so serene.

"Thank you for saving me." She muttered softly, eyelids fluttering sleepily because of the warm food settling in her tummy. Sesshoumaru only looked at her with those penetrating amber eyes, before she succumbed to slumber.


	3. Chapter 2 The Hot Spring

Chapter 2: The Hot Spring

Kagome awoke to Sesshoumaru's gentle hand on her face. Her eyes fluttered open before she flinched, her face moving away from him. She was not used to such a kind view of him, nor did she have a kind view towards any demon after what happened to her. Remembering she was nude, she pulled the white fur up against her chest.

"Do you not realize that someone had to get you out of those wet clothes? Honestly." He let out a frustrated noise, standing once more to move as far as he could away from her. In some ways it was comforting to know that he was Inuyasha's brother, because she could see some of the same traits in Sesshoumaru as she did in her beloved Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru came back from the shadows once more, but in his hands was rather odd shaped bag. He handed the bundle to her scratched and bruised hands, and she pressed the package to her chest.

"What is this?" She looked up at him with confused eyes; her black hair tussled about around her with bits and pieces of grass and other outdoor things caught up in its tangled mass.

"Clothes; the ones you were wearing were ruined beyond any repair. I went to a nearby village when you were asleep and got those for you. Before you put them on, you need to bathe. There's a small hot spring not to far from this cave. You need to soak your body or you're going to be in a lot of pain. Not to mention you'll want to wash all that dried blood away. No doubt you'll want to be in your best condition when you see that half breed brother of mine again."

Sesshoumaru seemed to have a little edged malice in his voice, but she knew now that he actually cared for his brother. After all, they were family.

"But I-" She was about to mention the fact she had nothing to wear for the walk to the hot springs when Sesshoumaru walked over to her, and picked her up with ease. He cradled her in his massive fur against his chest. Protest didn't seem to be an option. Kagome pressed the clothes he had given her against her bare chest as she leaned her head in the crook of his neck.

He carried her to the hot spring. It was a quaint place hidden behind trees and overgrown foliage to keep her safe from peeking eyes. He set her down gently, making sure she had both feet steadily placed on the ground before letting her go. She was still wrapped in his white fur, and he carefully clutched it, instructing her to get into the spring. Shyly, Kagome stepped away from the fur, quickly setting her dry clothes on the ground before submerging herself in the warm spring water.

Sesshoumaru turned to leave, but Kagome let out a small noise, grabbing the end of his pants.

"Please don't leave me alone," she muttered, tears already making their way into her eyes.

"Do not fret woman, I only leave to find you something to eat. Now stay and wash, and when I return you can eat, and I'll help you look for my brother." She let go of the fabric, as she watched him go from the grove.

She sunk as far into the water as she could without depriving herself of oxygen. The warm water made her realize just how much of her body ached. Her hips ached, and she prayed with every fiber of her being she wasn't with child. There was a high chance that she wasn't though, because none of the demons that had her spilled their own seed inside her. They let it hit her skin in various places, letting Inuyasha watch every minute.

She shuddered, hoping with all her heart he was alright. Clutching her fists together, she prayed to anything that would hear her. Sighing, she tried her best to focus on the task at hand. Kagome took in a deep breath of air before dunking her head under the warm water. It was so hot she thought she could feel it sink in to every wound and fester. She scrubbed her head with her hand a bit underwater before re-emerging above surface.

Sesshoumaru still had not returned, and she tried not to panic. Being alone was her biggest fear at this point in time, afraid that something else might happen to her. She heard rustling, and she ducked down against the rocky surface of the spring, hiding herself from view in case it wasn't a friend.

It was Sesshoumaru, and with him he had the gourd she had drank from the night before and several fish in his hands.

"Come." He said before exiting the grove again.

Kagome almost fell crawling out of the spring. She skinned her knee on the rocky surface catching her balance again, blood slowly made its way to the surface of her skin. She flinched from the pain, but continued crawling out. She took the clothes and put them on against her damp skin. She found some thin vine near the spring, and its toughness proved a use for her. Finding a sharp stone, she sawed at the vine till it gave way before using it to bind her hair back away from her skin.

"Wait, please!" Kagome called, before moving out into the open woods again. Sesshoumaru stood there before her, a good foot (or more) taller than herself. He looked regal, even when holding items she would have never pictured him to hold. He began walking, and she began to follow.

They arrived back at the cave, where apparently Sesshoumaru had started a fire before coming to get Kagome. He handed the fish to her, as if he had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. She stuck a long stick through the fish, sliding it through its body before resting it into the flames. She did the same with the other fish before leaning back and waiting for them to cook.

"Thank you again, Sesshoumaru san. I greatly appreciate everything you have done for me." She never thought she would see her self thanking him, but he deserved everything she could give him.

He only remained silent, never even turning to look at her.

Kagome repositioned herself and used a stick to poke at the flames. Staring into the orange flames made her loose herself in her thoughts.

"It's burning." Sesshoumaru's voice penetrated the silence causing Kagome to flinch from the sound.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" She gingerly grabbed the fish from the flames by the pieces of wood that they lay upon. They were a little burnt, but they smelled delicious to her. She waited for them to cool before taking a bite out of the sweet meat. It burned her tongue, but she was so hungry it didn't matter. She gobbled it down hungrily.

"If you're finished, we can search for Inuyasha." He stood from his lounging position against the rock, readjusting the fur on his right shoulder to be higher up. The fur graced his cheek as he walked over to her. Standing by her side a moment, his amber eyes stared deep into her brown ones.

She stood, not even very stable on her own feet, but she was ready to search.

"I'm ready."

"Then let us take our leave."

–

Thanks everyone for reading so far! Please review and let me know what you think!

Xoxo

saruwarui


	4. Chapter 3 The Search

I do not own _Inuyasha _characters, nor am I making any money from this story.

Chapter 3: The Search

Sesshoumaru cut down the foliage with Toukijin, Kagome following closely behind him, looking around, trying to spot silver or red mixed with all the greens and browns. She didn't even remember where the demons had held her captive, she ran long and far in fear. The earth was hard on Kagome's feet, which were tender due to her accustoms to shoes.

Every once in a while Sesshoumaru would cease his cutting, and lift his head up. Kagome assumed that it was some sort of way for him to smell the air. _Is he searching for Inuyasha's scent? Or maybe he searched for the scent of blood in general._ She shivered with the thought of Inuyasha, dying, breathing his last breaths without anything she could do. She suddenly bumped into Sesshoumaru, who had stopped walking.

"Ah! Sorry."

"You should not worry so much. Inuyasha would not die from any wounds inflicted on him from any meager demon. He may be a half breed but that does not mean he's weak."

He began to walk again, leaving Kagome to stumble after him to catch up to his brisk pace.

Kagome slowly began to recognize her surroundings. Fear crept into her, that feeling that she should turn and run away. They were very close to where she and Inuyasha had been abused and tortured. She walked closer to Sesshoumaru, eyes wildly looking about, searching for anything that might be a threat to her. She momentarily wished Sesshoumaru was the type of guy who would grab her hand to comfort her.

"There." He muttered, taking her hand and tugging her behind him as he moved swiftly. Kagome tripped over he own feet, the earth stabbing into the bottoms of them, causing her to wince with pain. She was about to complain when she heard laughter through the trees. Sesshoumaru dropped her hand, jumping past the bushes leaving her by herself.

Gurgles and screams echoed beside the silver swipe of metal rang through Kagome's ears. She clutched her palms to her ears, muffling the horrible sound, tears beginning to spill from her tightly shut eyes. Feeling something damp and warm hit her feet, she slowly opened her eyes. Blood splatters shone brightly against her white skin. She screamed, involuntarily, running through the thick where Sesshoumaru had disappeared.

"Where is Inuyasha, the demon you tortured?"

"He's gone, disappeared. I swear to you, please let me live. He was alive when we left him, the girl too. If you don't believe me, the demon's robes are over there." The demon pointed a gnarled finger to a small patch of bushes and trees.

Kagome stared at the demon, Sesshoumaru's poison fingertips only a few centimeters from the demon's throat. It felt like hours were becoming a charade for minutes. Sesshoumaru's eyes met Kagome's momentarily before he shoved his fingers into the demon's throat, blood and poison gas spilling as the demon fell to the ground. She walked to where the demon had pointed, tears bursting from her eyes.

Inuyasha's fire rat robes, ripped and splattered with his own blood. It was only the haori, meaning that Inuyasha must still be wearing the pants. It still did not give her the answer she had wanted. Was he dead or alive?

She gathered the robe in her arms, pressing the fabric to her face. She didn't care that it smelled of blood and sweat. It was his blood and sweat, and she wanted to be engulfed in it rather than think she'd never see him again. Her own tears dropped down into the fabric as she sobbed.

Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder, and she managed to raise her head up. Sesshoumaru looked forward, his ever present slight frown twitching at his lips. His hand was warm, made her feel stronger than she really was. Her fingertips barely grazed his before his hand was gone, and he was walking away. Kagome wiped the last tears from her eyes with the back of her arm before gathering Inuyasha's robes to her chest, stumbling after Sesshoumaru back into the safe arms of the forest.

--

"I know he's still alive. I know he is." Her own confident voice breaking the silence made her body jump at the suddenness of sound. Sesshoumaru nodded, rubbing his chin with his thumb.

"I, too, have the feeling that my brother has not been vanquished. I have not been able to pick up his scent, wounded or living, so I would not say it could not be a possibility."

Hearing someone else say the words she was praying made Kagome hope even more that they would both be right. Even with the clothes that Sesshoumaru had brought her from the village, she still shivered from the cold. Sesshoumaru offered his furs, but Kagome refused. She felt somewhat like a burden to him, and mentally decided that she would no longer ask him for any help.

"I'll leave tomorrow. I know that this is a burden to you. I'll find Inuyasha and then you won't have to bother with it anymore."

"You're not leaving. You're too weak to protect yourself in this area, and it would be a foolish decision to leave. You will stay here until we find Inuyasha, and only then will you be allowed to take your leave."

Kagome could only nod, pushing a strand of her black hair behind her ear, rubbing her arms together to stay warm. Sesshoumaru stood, wrapping her in his fur and she was instantly warm, the smooth white fur brushing against her cheek.

"Next time something is offered to you, accept it." Those were his only words as he moved farther into the cave leaving her alone by the fire.

Kagome watched him leave, unable to form words of thanks on her tongue, but now she was warm enough to fall asleep. Still clinging to Inuyasha's robes, she prayed with all her might that she would find him, and he would be okay.

–

Please let me know what you think!

Xoxo saruwarui


	5. Chapter 4 Lost

I apologize to those who have been waiting for new chapters. I appreciate all the kind reviews. They keep me thinking about stories I would have already given up on. I hope you enjoy this chapter and future chapters as I bring my story to a close.

-Saru

I do not own _Inuyasha_, nor am I making any money with this story.

Chapter 4

Lost

They looked endlessly for days, never getting an inch closer to finding Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru, no matter hard he tried could not locate his brother's scent. It left him to secretly wonder if his brother's body had been dumped in water. He, like Kagome, believed that no mere demons could destroy his kin, but stranger things have happened before.

Kagome was beginning to lose hope. She would draw into herself, not speaking, only appearing that she was dying from the inside-out from the pain of Inuyasha's disappearance. They had already been together for several weeks searching, but not once did they have a lead or a clue. Kagome knew that at some point Sesshoumaru was going to have to go back to Jaken and Rin, but she dared not ask if she could follow him. There was a better chance of her running into someone she knew- Miroku, Sango or Kaede- than she would just stumbling about on her own.

It seemed that the few weeks that she had spent with Sesshoumaru, his silence was becoming less of a bother. Kagome realized that she could sense what he was feeling to trying to say, just by the amber glow of his eyes. A common thought that crossed her mind was, _Did I ever know Inuyasha this well?_

After another day of searching, they returned to their new headquarters: an abandoned hut deep in the forest. The cave had proved troublesome since they could only search within a limited area. Kagome crept inside, sighing as she watched the warm colors of the sun beginning to blend with the cool colors of the night while Sesshoumaru took his normal spot resting against the side of building near the entrance.

She smelled rain on the air when she took her blankets outside to shake the dust off them.

"It's going to rain later." His voice penetrated the silence abruptly, causing Kagome to flinch.

"I can smell the rain on the air as well," she replied, watching the dust dissipate into the air. _It was raining that night too, the night I lost Inuyasha._ The sun set in the distance, leaving only an orange glow on the horizon. Deep in the forest, she heard the onset of rain pittering down onto the foliage.

"It's started." Sesshoumaru muttered, walking past her into the hut. Kagome watched him, brown eyes intent. His amber eyes met hers for only a moment before she thrust her head the opposite direction. She stared at the blanket in her hands. It suddenly felt as if it weighed twice as much as it normally did. Rain began to fall, softly at first before pattering harder and harder. Kagome dropped the blanket, watching the fabric turn dark with water.

Sesshoumaru watched her from the doorway silently; uncertain of what she was doing.

Thunder clapped, Kagome screamed. Grabbing her head, visions of the night flashed through her mind, more vivid than any dream that she had had about that night. It was like she was there again, writhing under the demons touches, Inuyasha's teary eyes watching the whole time.

Then she ran.

Kagome couldn't understand why her feet hitting the earth made her feel better. The rain pounded against her, threatening to knock her over. Tears rolled down her cheeks, crying uncontrollably as she ran. Bleeding cuts began to form on her arms from the wild brush striking against her. Kagome ran into a branch, smacking her hard on her forehead causing her to stumble to the ground. Sobbing, she managed to get to her feet, touching her head and feeling the warm ooze of blood. She was only running at a stumble now.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Inuyasha..." She muttered, body swaying as her grip moved from branch to branch. She heard a faint voice, calling her. Her vision began to swim, and she felt hands hold her steady. Slowly, she raised her chocolate eyes upward, and she met a familiar amber gaze.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered, silver strands of hair brushing over her fingers. Her vision focused and she saw that it was Sesshoumaru that held her. She pushed him away with all her might, causing herself to stumble backwards. Rain still poured down around her, mixing the blood from her arms and forehead into the mud that caked her.

"Kagome, come to your senses. This is idiotic. You will not find Inuyasha out here."

"We won't find him anywhere! He's dead!" She screamed, tears flowing into the mud that covered her face. "There's a reason we haven't found any clues, nothing. It's because those damned demons killed him!"

"You know that the half breed would not be so easily killed."

"He's not like you Sesshoumaru, I was there. I'm his weakness. I'm the reason he died. If he had just fought back then he'd be alive right now!"

"That wouldn't change anything!" Sesshoumaru raised his voice as he took a few steps toward Kagome. "If he lived then you would be dead."

"I DON'T CARE! I'd rather be the one dead right now than go on another day not having him with me! You don't understand anything!" Kagome held her clenched fists to her sides as she sobbed, so angry and hurt that she could no longer control her emotions.

"My brother wouldn't have wanted you to be miserable." A flip switched in Kagome, letting out an angry yell, she brought a fist towards Sesshoumaru. He grabbed her entire hand in his own, pulling her into his arms.

"Let me go!" Kagome wailed, beating her fists against his chest. "What do you know? You hated him! You don't even care that he's dead!"

"Come to your senses!"

"I will not! I will never be the same without Inuyasha!"

"Will you silence yourself?"

"No!"

Angry, Sesshoumaru pressed his mouth on hers, kissing her with force. Kagome's eyes widened in shock, before her lids slowly shut, letting her mouth press against his. It was warm, comforting, something she thought she'd never feel again after losing Inuyasha. His clawed hand buried itself deep within her hair, clutching the back of her head tightly enough where she could not suddenly pull away.

"Sessho-" Kagome muttered before he had placed his mouth on hers again, tongue slipping in and out, playing with her own. She felt as if her brain had detached itself and was spinning in her skull. Sesshoumaru lifted her off the ground, still kissing her, but now in small paths down her jaw line to her neck.

The rain was now gentle and more pleasant, the thunder a slow growl in the distance. Kagome grabbed the sleeves of his kimono, the mud and faint traces of blood becoming a sharp contrast against the damp, white cloth. When Sesshoumaru finally let her pull her mouth away, her breaths were deep and her eyelids heavy.

Kagome fell silent, confused by his actions. Her heart thudded in her chest, wishing she knew what to say to break the horrible silence that passed between them. Sesshoumaru gave her a look, one she had never seen before. She took a few steps forward, pressing her body against his, burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry," she managed to mutter before he gathered her up into his arms and carried her back to the hut.

He sat her down on the futon covered in blankets, undoing her obi and slipping off her dirty clothes. Kagome had mud clumps in her hair and caked on her body with bleeding scratches covering her legs and arms. Once she was nude, he gathered her up again into his arms.

Kagome blushed, eyes darting to his. "What are you-"

"You're filthy. I'm taking you to the springs nearby."

Sesshoumaru carried her into a different part of the wood. Deep in the rocks were a series of springs. Some of the pools were large while others were only big enough to slip a hand in. He carried her to a larger pool, slowly dipping her beneath the water. Kagome stared blankly ahead, her cheeks red from tears and embarrassment. While she understood it was probably nothing for him for people to be tramping around naked, it meant something to her.

Sesshoumaru began removing his own kimono, setting it aside where he had easy access to it. He caught Kagome's gaze upon him, but when he turned to look at her, she turned her head the opposite direction. He smirked, slowly dipping his own body into the warm and soothing waters. He waded over to her, scooping the water in his hand and pouring it on top of her head. She said not a word to him as he tenderly washed the mud out of her hair.

Kagome's cheeks were hot. Since when has Sesshoumaru been so caring? His actions were becoming dreamlike, but she found herself enjoying the smooth touch of this clawed fingers through her hair. She decided not to protest, knowing it would just cause him pain. He was only trying to take care of her.

He lifted her scratched arm out of the water, her skin pink from the warmth. The moment it hit the air, one of the scratches began to bleed again. She had her face turned away from him as he brought his mouth down to her skin, kissing up her arm until he reached the wound. His tongue flicked out, gently lapping the blood away and planting a kiss there. The taste of her blood flooded his senses, just as her scent did. He moved his hand towards her collarbone when he felt an opposing force. Looking down, her small hand was on his arm.

"Please stop. I know you're just trying to help me, but I'm very confused right now." Kagome was so embarrassed she could not even bring herself to look him in the eye. The way that he touched her, she wondered if Inuyasha were still with her, would he touch her like that? Sesshoumaru was becoming rather intimate with his actions, making Kagome feel more confused about everything. Even her comforted feeling toward being naked in front of him somewhat frightened her. _Someone that just lost their lover should not act this way. I should be ashamed of myself._

"I understand." He moved away from her, the sounds of water lapping at his body pounded in her ears. Kagome finished cleaning off all the mud out of her hair and off her body, sometimes letting her gaze wander to Sesshoumaru's naked torso. His arms were stretched out against the rock, head leaned back, his hair a mass of silver down his shoulders. Kagome could see a few scars that were a faded pink color, some bigger than others. _He has physical wounds and I have emotional ones. What a pair we make._ She sighed, placing her chest against the rock, resting her chin and fingers on the outer stone, peering off into the distance.

"I've given up hope Sesshoumaru." She finally said, fighting hard to hold back her tears. "We've searched for weeks and have nothing to show for it. I'm having trouble coming to terms with losing him. I feel guilty when you touch me the way you did earlier, because I crave it so much and hate myself for doing so. I hope I haven't offended you. I honestly appreciate everything you've done for me. If I hadn't found you, I probably would be dead and decaying by now, which is probably the most proper place for me."

Sesshoumaru's eyes blinked open, and Kagome could not tear her gaze from him. Deep down, she wondered if things had been different and met him first, would she love him just as much as she loved Inuyasha?

"The half breed would want you to be happy regardless if it were him or someone else," were his only words before he climbed out of the water. Kagome heard the shuffling of his clothing before he left her alone with her thoughts.

She let out a shaking sigh, burying her head in her hands. Either she had given up on Inuyasha or she hadn't, but she needed to make up her mind on what she wanted to do. She thought of how long it had been. One month? Two months? What she felt for Inuyasha and their actual relationship...were her feelings clouding what was really between them?

_Kikyo...he loved Kikyo not me. He knew I loved him, and I think he felt the same. Neither of us acted on those feelings. What did he really feel?_

Sesshoumaru reappeared with a yukata for her to put on, gingerly placing it on a stone. His eyes did not attempt to meet Kagome's though she hoped that he would try. He left her alone once more as his figure merged with the trees. She climbed out of the pool, squeezing water out of her hair and sliding the cool cloth around her. She followed the path back to the hut, where a small light flickered inside.

"Come in." His voice was clear, and Kagome obeyed. She sat on the hay filled futon, brown eyes downcast as she tried to catch his eyes. Sesshoumaru sat with his back pressed against the wall of the hut, his eyes shut either in sleep or in thought.

"I will take you back to your human village in the morning. The journey will take several days, but it is best. We have searched until both of us are strained. I need to return to mine and you to yours."

"But!" Her eyes flared wide as she jerked her head up to face him. Kagome tried to think of a protest that would make sense but his words had truth. She had no business being with Sesshoumaru nor he with her. She lowered her head again. "Whatever you think is best.

The wind blew out the flickering candle, and it was silent.


	6. Chapter 5 Empty Handed

Thanks for the reviews last chapter! I hope everyone enjoys this one just as much. Please feel free to review this chapter as well. I like to know how I'm doing. Thanks very much and enjoy chapter 5

-Saru

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha _characters, nor am I making any money off this story.

Chapter 5

Empty Handed

She woke the next morning, sleep heavy in her eyes. Kagome looked around, noticing Sesshoumaru's absence. Biting her lip, she rolled facing the wall. She would have to approach him sometime. _Though I do not wish to, _she thought to herself, feeling her eyes begin to water.

After a few more minutes, she took a deep breath, shutting her eyes hard to push the tears away, and took to her feet. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to tame the black mess of tangles.

"You're awake."

She jumped, almost falling over from the sound that his voice made against the silence. "Yes…" Kagome murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

His amber eyes turned away, leaving the hut. It was like there was something he was trying to say but could not find the words to say it. Kagome folded over the cloth of her yukata in her hands, watching the fabric crinkle, trying to think of way to make things less awkward between them.

Her cheeks became hot as the memory of him kissing her to her senses last night in the rain flooded her brain. Why had he done that? It was so out of character for the regal demon. Adjusting her simple yukata, she followed Sesshoumaru outside. He wasn't there though. Only a small campfire with fish cooking over it lay before her. _He must have snuck out earlier…_ Kagome thought to herself as she plopped down, crossing her legs and removing the fish from the fire to let it cool.

Her eyes glanced towards the forest as she dug her bare feet into the grass. Through the tops of the trees, she could see a swirling cloud of grey smoke furling upwards into the blue sky. A village most likely and she hoped it wasn't being plundered. Flashbacks struck her suddenly, causing her to clutch her head with her palms and close her eyelids tight.

_Touch._ "No." _Blood._ "No." _Death._ "NO!" Kagome screamed, drowning in her horrid memories knocking the fish into the dirt. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get a grip on reality. That was over. Still, she could see the demons that hurt her, hurt Inuyasha, and the thoughts were flooding over into her vision.

A hand grabbed her.

A piercing scream echoed out of her throat, before that same hand was joined by another and scooped her up. Sesshoumaru. He hadn't been far. He was silent, just what Kagome needed and didn't need at the same time.

"You clearly need more rest."

"When will this all be over?" She whispered against his kimono. He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "I can't do this anymore. Just when I think I'm okay, I remember everything all over again. Nightmares, hallucinations, it feels like it's getting more real every time."

"You'll get through it." Kagome looked up at him, brown eyes brimming with tears. Why was he being so nice?

"How do you know?"

"I know because anytime I saw you and Inuyasha together, you were strong. You feel weak because you lost a battle. Any good warrior feels that way. As long as you leave the battle alive, you can win all the ones that come after. You're alive and you're still strong. Regardless of what has happened to Inuyasha, you'll make it."

Her heart pounded inside of her chest. Was this really Sesshoumaru? This strong demon that once used to frighten her now consoled her. The pounding of blood resounded in her ears. _Am I…Am I falling in love with him?_

A small little girl wearing a yukata of orange and yellow sat on a rock, dangling her feet into a stream. She smiled as small fish tickled her toes, turning her head upside down to look back behind her.

"Jaken, Sesshoumaru-sama visited me today." Rin hummed happily, kicking the water scattering all the fish away.

The green creature gasped. "How dare you Rin! You were supposed to tell me when he arrived! We've been walking around for a month and a half without him. Just where has he been?"

Rin stood, dusting off her yukata, shaking the access water from her legs. "He's been with Lady Kagome."

"WHAT?" Jaken nearly fell over backwards. "What do you mean he's been with Lady Kagome?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama said that Lord Inuyasha may have been killed in battle. Lady Kagome barely managed to escape and he's been staying with her. He told me that humans are fragile creatures and that he's not going to just leave her until she's well."

Jaken's eyelids squeezed almost closed in irritation, glaring at Rin as she ran over to pet Ah-Un. The little girl held the creature's head in her arms, giving it a loving snuggle. She blinked her brown eyes at Jaken. "What's the matter?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru is associating with humans. It was bad enough that he keeps you around, but now he's dealing with that…that…trash!" Jaken yelled the last part, stomping his foot on the ground. Rin just rolled her eyes at him.

"He seemed…happy." Rin whispered only loud enough for her own ears to hear.

Kagome watched the fire in a trance, gazing past the oranges and yellows into some sort of dreamscape. Her eyes hurt from crying and her heart ached from numerous causes. She lifted her head upwards, catching the glint of white of Sesshoumaru lounging in the grass against a tree. He seemed to be lost in thought as well, eyes staring off someplace she couldn't pick out in the night. His expression never changed. Kagome wondered if that was why he was so off putting sometimes. The only emotion he ever showed was with his brows and that was rare.

"Sesshoumaru, are you ever happy? Was there ever a time you were sad?" Kagome knew it was rather a bold question to ask, but she was tired of all the silence. He regarded her question by shutting his eyes as if in thought. She leaned, propping her face in her hands and her elbows on her knees. She knew he wasn't going to answer.

"I have been happy and I have been sad. I do feel emotions contrary to whatever you may believe." Sesshoumaru turned his head to look into her eyes. Her ears perked as she stared back with her chocolate eyes.

"You just seem so…serious all the time. I just wanted to know if you had feelings other than lethargic or stone-faced." He grimaced then.

"Becoming comfortable enough with me to speak your mind without a fear of losing your head I see."

Kagome gulped. "I just thought-"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It was a joke."

Silence. Then she felt something bubbling up inside of her stomach before she burst out into laughter. Kagome couldn't stop, even if she wanted. Tears streaked down her face and finally she managed to catch her breath. Looking at Sesshoumaru as she wiped a tear away she saw a flicker of a smile. That made her smile.

"I think the happiest I've ever been, was when my brother Souta was born." She said, standing and walking over to where Sesshoumaru was seated before sitting beside him. "He was this little ball of pink with very little hair and was screaming at the top of his lungs. I remember asking my mom if he was broken because all he seemed to do was cry." She chuckled to herself remembering. "But I was happy, because I was his big sister. It made me feel like I had a job to do, to take care of him…" She realized then that this might be awkward, especially since she had forgotten this was Sesshoumaru she was talking to.

They were both silent for a moment before Sesshoumaru cleared his throat.

"I was happiest when my father was alive. I remember him teaching me how to use a sword. We'd practice for hours…" His voice trailed off as if he had given away too much information. Sesshoumaru fell silent and the glimmer of a smile on Kagome's face waivered into a frown.

She patted his shoulder and he grabbed her wrist, causing her to let out a gasp of surprise and pain. His nails dug into her skin. "Ow, Sesshou-"

"I do not want your pity." His glare was like daggers. Of course, he knew. Inuyasha had told Kagome that his father had saved his mother, but that Inu-Taisho died doing so.

"I wasn't pitying you, Sesshoumaru. I know how it feels to lose someone you care about. I was sharing sympathy. I don't know if it's something you're used to, but it's something that I do." She felt the trickle of blood from his nails digging into her skin, but she held her ground.

His grip released, small blood drops blooming from the nail points in her skin. Kagome brought her wrist to her mouth, licking the drops away, her eyes never leaving his.

"I apologize. I forget that humans are more fragile." Kagome's eyes narrowed at him, wanting to say something mean, but didn't.

"Like I said, humans are different, but it doesn't mean that we're the scum of the earth. I was merely trying to make conversation but it turned fowl. I didn't mean to upset you." She should have known better, this demon had just as much temper as his half-brother counterpart.

_Inuyasha…_ Her own voice whispered in her brain as she looked up to the sky and saw the moon half-full, surrounded by stars. _Where are you hiding?_


	7. Chapter 6 Memory

Hello again! I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. This one is a little long so I hope you're ready to read! Please review and let me know how I'm doing!

-Saru

EDIT: I tampered with the layout of the file so it's easier to read to give better flow to the story. : )

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ characters, nor am I making any money from this story.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Memory**

_His eyelids fluttered open and he looked around. The edge of everything seemed to be blurred, fuzzy. He willed his hand to move to his forehead, fingers encompassing it, trying to soothe the dull ache there. He moved to sit up from the cot he laid on, noticing there were bandages around his torso holding his dried blood. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his stomach._

"_Do not try to move, you'll only open the wounds." A ragged old voice called out. An old woman emerged from the shadows. Her rickety limbs moved forward, reaching out to touch him with thin, knobby fingers splaying them across the bandages. "Do you remember anything?" She asked, lighting a small roll of dried leaves and setting them down on a plate._

_He worked his mouth, taking a few moments before he remembered how to speak. "Where…Where am I?"_

"_You remember nothing?"_

_He shook his head, his eyelids becoming heavy again, his long black hair falling around him. The scent of herbs burning soothed his mind, causing him to feel light headed. The old woman helped him lay his head back down, and she smiled the whole time, her grin missing teeth._

"_Good. We have to make sure we get rid of all of those pesky memories."_

_He nodded in agreement, but deep down inside he could feel that there was something he should never forget: A smiling girl with black hair and brown eyes. What was her name again? Was she just a dream? He shut his eyes again with a smile crossing his lips._

"_Kagome…" He whispered before he fell back asleep._

* * *

"I'm rather worried, yes. They've never been gone this long. It's almost been 3 months now. I want to go in search of them but I'm not even sure where to look." Sango poked the fire with a stick as she turned her gaze to Miroku. "What do you think?"

"You are correct, they've never been gone this long without giving us some sort of notice before hand…" He tapped a finger to his lips in thought. "Maybe they're just having some extended alone time." He returned Sango's gaze with his own. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm trying to be serious Miroku."

"I understand. Inuyasha is more than capable of taking care of the two of them. I think it unwise to just go off in search of them without even an idea of where they've gone. It's best to stay put, that way at least if they return we'll be here to greet them."

Sango sighed, the worry never leaving her face. "I am still uneasy." She murmured leaning into Miroku's open arm, propping her head on his shoulder. Miroku nodded in agreement.

"I am too."

* * *

Kagome woke, back feeling stiff. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light of the sun about to rise. Looking to her right she found Sesshoumaru in the same place he had been when she had fallen asleep. Beside her. She moved her head away from his shoulder, eyes looking down towards her wrist. The pricks from his nails were but scabs now, threatening to fall away any day.

Sesshoumaru had said he was going to take her back to the village, but he hadn't. She thought maybe he liked the company, and maybe that he didn't want to give up the search. His demeanor had changed a few days ago, as if he had acquired some sort of information that he wasn't going to divulge to her. It made Kagome irritated.

"Are you awake?" She whispered, brown eyes gazing up towards his face from her place on his shoulder. His eyes were shut, but she had a feeling even if he didn't answer that he was awake. He never seemed to sleep.

"What is it?" His voice was thick and husky and caused Kagome to swallow hard. His voice used to frighten her, now it seemed to caress her in a way that made her feel guilty.

"Why haven't you taken me back to the village yet? You threatened me with that almost a month ago and you still haven't. Do you know something I don't?"

He was silent, but his eyes opened. He looked off in the distance.

"I sensed him, a few weeks back. Haven't you noticed we've been staying in the same area? I've been making a big circle because I'm having trouble pinpointing where the presence is coming from."

Kagome's heart pounded, adrenaline bursting inside of her. "You smelled him? You mean he's alive?"

"I never said that. I sensed him. It's very different. It's not his smell, but it is. I don't know what to make of it."

She nodded, shoulders drooping again. Still, something was better than nothing. "It's a little bit of hope. I've lost count of how long we've been searching."

"Three months and two days."

It had been a long time. Kagome nodded, knowing that he'd have a better idea than she. His mind hadn't been riddled with fear and madness like hers had been, on and off for three months. Kagome self diagnosed herself with Post-traumatic stress, as she had remembered the condition after discussing the idea of school to Sesshoumaru. She was better now, but she still had flashbacks. In those times, Sesshoumaru would hold her until the fear subsided. The two of them were unlikely friends, but in the past few weeks Kagome found herself remembering that passionate kiss in the rain that they had shared.

It was difficult to think of anything else when Sesshoumaru stayed so close.

Guilt filled her stomach then. _You're supposed to love Inuyasha. He's the one you've been looking for all this time._

"Kagome."

"Yes?" She looked to him, and then saw where he stared. She turned her gaze to match his. Sunlight peeked over the horizon, the morning sky turning hues of pink, orange and gold with the sunrise.

"Good morning."

Her heart beat resounded against her chest, her mouth going dry. _Sesshoumaru…you know how I feel now, don't you?_

It was almost as if he had heard her thoughts, the corners of his lips jerking into a faint smirk.

* * *

_He awoke again, the faint glow of embers giving him enough light to look around. Where was he? It looked like a cave of some sort, and he heard water. His mouth was dry. It was probably from the herbs the old woman had burned earlier._

"_Hello? Granny! Are you there?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse. This time, when he sat up, he did not feel any pain. He wondered if days had passed. What was going on here?_

"_Yes?" It had the same voice, but only this time it was a lot younger. A woman stepped out of the shadows, same clothing that the old lady had worn. Her hair was up in the same style as well, but there was no gray; only silky black hair._

"_Who are you? Where's granny?" He asked, irritation rising._

"_I am the same. I've helped you, and you've helped me. It's been a long time since I've had memories this tasty…" She licked her lips, tongue freakishly long for someone who looked human. He felt his stomach turn in disgust. Something inside of him wanted to reach for something to vanquish whatever this creature was._

"_What have you done to me?" He yelled, pulling his arm and noticing it was tied down. He stared at her, his brown eyes sending her a death glare. _

_The creature only laughed, flipping her long black hair. "Inuyasha, you don't even remember yourself do you? I must have gotten greedy, I hadn't planned on eating that much."_

"_Inuyasha? Is that my name? Please untie me, let me go! I don't know what I did, but I can't remember anything! The only thing I remember is a girl with brown eyes and black hair! What have you done to her?"_

_The creature's eyes widened in surprise before her brows narrowed in anger. "This is how you repay me? Bringing up that filthy human in my presence?" The woman's voice took a horrid tone, vocal cords snapping into something warped. "Listen to me Inuyasha, Kagome is dead. I had her killed. You don't even remember who she is, do you? She was your human lover. You watched her be raped and then murdered by my henchmen. That's when I brought you here. I've been taking care of you ever since. When you're strong, I'll let you have your demon side back. Then we can be together."_

_Inuyasha felt anger build up inside of him. He used to be strong, and a demon! This woman had taken away the beautiful girl with the smile. He spat at her then, anger taking hold of him._

_The woman just smiled. "It's alright," she wiped the spit from her cheek. "I know you don't mean it. I'll just have to eat more. Eat all of Kagome up in your mind and that way you'll never remember her. You'll only think of me." She pulled a pile of herbs from a pocket in her dress, lighting it with the flickering embers, smoke filling up the small cave._

_Inuyasha tried to hold his breath, tried to break free, but he was human and weak. His lids fluttered before he became unconscious and fell deep into the land of dreams._

* * *

"Are you getting tired?" Sesshoumaru asked, causing Kagome's head to whip up and become alert from her idle daydreaming. She looked around her. Apparently she had been following him blindly again, for quite a while too. The sun was already beginning to set. They had left in search of Inuyasha again, except this time, Kagome had more hope that they would find him. A days' worth of walking through the forest hadn't gotten them any closer to finding him.

"A little bit. My feet are beginning to ache." Sesshoumaru nodded, taking her answer into consideration.

"We'll find a suitable place to set up camp and then we can stop."

"Sesshoumaru, have you been able to pick up on his scent or his presence?" It didn't hurt to ask.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "It's very strange. I don't know of a good way to explain it to you. I can sense his power, catch his scent. What I'm picking up faintly resembles his smell but I can't say for sure if it is him or not. We'll just have to keep searching."

She nodded. Her foot caught in a root that protruded from the ground, causing her to trip forward. She clutched onto Sesshoumaru's kimono. His arm whipped around her, catching her before she could fall. His amber eyes stared into hers and Kagome feared that her heart might pound right out of her chest.

"S-Sorry," she murmured as he placed her on her feet again. He inclined his head to her and the two of them proceeded to walk.

They found what looked like an abandoned shrine, vines climbing up the wood and stone guardians keeping watch. It had a tiled roof, something that t was a relief to see after weeks of open air camping or abandoned huts with roofs threatening to cave in any moment. A path of stairs led up to the building, but it was clear whomever had been the caretaker had long since gone.

"Wait here." Sesshoumaru's voice commanded as he leapt in the air, avoiding the steps all together. He opened the creaky wooden door, and vanished from sight. After a few minutes he returned with good news: it was safe to use as shelter. Kagome almost wept tears of joy.

"I wonder why they left…" She asked, sliding a hand over some of the tapestries that had been left behind. The inside was mostly intact, it looked as if all valuables had already been scavenged, but there were sleeping pallets hidden away in a chest camouflaged as a statue.

"There are lots of reasons, some not so pretty to think about."

Kagome nodded, a shiver running up her spine. "I'm going outside to air these out a bit." She replied, gathering the pallets in her arms and carrying them outside. Draping them across a banister, she found a stick to beat the dust out of them with.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky began to grow dark. Kagome stopped her pounding, staring off into the distance at the clouds that were beginning to gather.

"_Inuyasha, it's going to rain soon, we better get back to the others." Kagome warned, clutching his robes tightly as he ran._

"_Feh. I'm not worried about any rain. I want to show you something. We're almost there, I promise."_

_She sighed, smiling happily as she buried her face in his silver hair._

Lightning lit up the sky suddenly, catching her off guard. Her shrill scream filled the dark and in moments Sesshoumaru was by her side, hand on his blade.

"Sesshoumaru! I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts and the lightning frightened me." She let out a breath, adrenaline levels coming back down to normal.

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately." His hand moved away from his blade, face stoic as always.

"I have a lot on my mind…" she whispered, gathering the pallets and carrying them inside. Sesshoumaru followed behind her, sliding the door shut behind them. A soft glow filled the room. He had started a fire in one of the kindling pits. It was warm, but not hot. Outside, the patter of raindrops was heard as the rain began to start. Thunder boomed. Kagome jumped.

"Afraid?" Sesshoumaru asked, his expression almost as if he were trying to tease her. Kagome's cheeks flushed as she threw the pallets to the ground, smoothing them out before she stood and faced him.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm not a dog demon who isn't afraid of anything. Like you've said so many times before, I'm just a fragile human with fragile feelings." She stomped over to him, noticing the corners of his mouth twitching as if he wanted to smile.

"Stop that." She commanded, brows creased in irritation, "I know that you're teasing me in your own little sick way. Just stop it."

His hand cupped her cheek, her heart pounding. "Wha-" She mumbled.

"You're right. It was rude of me." His hand moved away.

"Don't!" The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think. His eyebrows rose as he looked at her, her cheeks reddening. Her hands were caught around Sesshoumaru's in a grip. She quickly released him. "I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me!" Her gaze moved to the floor and she stared at her bare feet. "Like I said earlier, I have a lot on my min-"

Two steps were all it took before she was gathered in his arms and Sesshoumaru's lips were pressed against hers in a kiss. Kagome's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she closed her eyes shut. Her fingers gripping into Sesshoumaru's robes and kissing him back hungrily, her hands weaving into his hair pulling his head closer to hers.

_Please forgive me, Inuyasha…_ Kagome thought, teardrops escaping from the corners of her shut eyes. _I'm falling in love with your brother._


	8. Chapter 7 Longing

Thanks to the people who leave reviews! I love you guys! It's nice to log in and see that people are enjoying my story! I've only got a few more chapters planned, so hopefully everyone stays tuned for the ending!

Lots of love

-Saru

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ or any of the related characters nor am I making any money from this story.

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**Chapter 7**

**Longing**

Kagome kissed Sesshoumaru hungrily, pulling herself as close to him as possible. His strong arms held her around her waist, lifting her to his height. Even though guilt weighed like heavy lead in the pit of her stomach, Kagome couldn't will herself away. More than a small part of her had wanted this. Even though she felt guilty, she didn't feel bad that it was happening.

Sesshoumaru had been there, through her madness, through her loss. He had been there, leading the way on the path out of the darkness…

"Did you know?" Kagome murmured against the flesh of his neck, lips grazing. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, running a clawed hand through her hair.

"How you felt? No. I've known my feelings since that night in the rain. I couldn't stop thinking about it. It seems I am more like my father than I thought." He kissed her again, one hand cupping her cheek and the other holding Kagome tightly around the waist.

Tears dripped from Kagome's eyes and Sesshoumaru wiped them away tenderly. She shook her head. "We can't Sesshoumaru. Not like this. As much as I want it, it's wrong."

"You'd rather deny your feelings for me because we can't find Inuyasha? What if what I'm picking up on isn't him, if he's dead floating in a stream somewhere… Are you going to spend the rest of your life pining for him, even if you can never find him again?"

"Stop it." Kagome pushed away, hot tears of anger beginning to slip away from her eyes. "Don't say that to me."

"Someone has to say it. I've been searching with you all this time because I refused to watch you cry over my pathetic half-breed brother. If someone was going to ruin you, better it be him than me breaking the words of truth to you."

"You said yourself you sensed him! So you've been lying just to placate me? Giving me false hope all this time is better to you than just coming out with the damned truth?" She yelled, swinging an arm at him. Sesshoumaru easily caught her by the wrist, the same one he had grabbed weeks ago and drawn blood.

"I said I sensed something that resembles him. I never said it was him, Kagome. Don't put words into my mouth. If we find wherever it's coming from, what do we do then? If it's not him, what will you do? Answer me."

"Let go of me." She whispered, her body shaking from fury and sadness. _Answer him Kagome, what will you do if Inuyasha is long gone. What happens then?_ She shook the thoughts from her head, staring at the wooden floor. Sesshoumaru released her and turned away, angrily opening the door that led outside into the rain.

"That's what I thought." He spat, walking out into the rain and slamming the door behind him.

Kagome slumped to the floor, knees banging on the wood with a thump. One by one, tears began to fall, turning the wood a darker shade. She couldn't answer her own questions let alone hear the truth in Sesshoumaru's words.

"I'm a fool," she whispered to herself as the echo of thunder drained out everything else in her thoughts.

* * *

"_Wake up Inuyasha, how are you feeling my love?"_

_The voice was familiar. He didn't know a name, he didn't have to. His eyes fluttered open, and his love stood before him. Long black hair and the most beautiful red eyes he had ever seen on a woman. She pressed her ruby lips against his gently. _

"_Did you sleep well?"_

"_I had the strangest dreams. I dreamt I was trapped to a tree. Isn't that silly?" He ran a hand through the woman's hair, placing his hand on her cheek. She smiled, placing her own hand on top and leaning her face into his palm. _

"_That is silly, Inuyasha. Those dreams you have are always strange. Are you hungry?" She asked, moving away from him and fetching some clothing for him to dress._

"_I am very hungry. Starving! How long have I been asleep?" He looked down and noticed his bandages were gone. Whatever wounds he had have long since healed. _

"_For a few days at least, you were riddled with fever." She stirred a pot over a fire which held a thick porridge inside. "It finally broke late last night. You're finally back to me, my darling."_

_He nodded, a surge of unfamiliarity covering him and giving him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He remembered laying here and his love checking on him, but why couldn't he think of her name._

"_Love, I think the fever muddled my brain," Inuyasha told her, standing to move behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug. "I can't remember your name."_

"_Damn." The woman whispered, brows furrowed in a plan. They soothed and she turned to face him and smiled. "Oh sweetling, it's alright. You were very sick. You'll probably remember when I tell you and just feel so silly."_

"_Tell me…" He murmured, kissing the base of her neck._

"_It's Kagome." His brown eyes caught her red ones before they arched with his mouth in a smile. _

_He felt sick to his stomach all of a sudden, but he knew she didn't lie. He was in love with her, in love with Kagome._

"_I remember now. I promise I'll never forget."_

"_Pray that you don't." Kagome said with a smile, eyes gleaming._

* * *

"Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru! Come back!" Kagome chased after him, rain pelting her clothes. It was like the night she went mad, only she was the one doing the chasing this time. She slipped on some leaves, letting out a yelp and tumbling down a small hill into muck.

Kagome wiped her forearm over her eyes, rain and mud thick against her face. She was human she couldn't run around in the rain for very long. She already felt weary from all the walking and now the coldness of the rain began to sink in her clothing, down to her bones. Using a tree, she climbed back to her feet, stumbling forward in her search.

"Sesshoumaru! Where are you? I'm sorry!" She trudged on, slipping again on some leaves but this time she fell down into a hole. Kagome let out a scream, hands flailing wildly as she managed to grab hold to an old tree root. Her falling ceased, as she clutched to the root for her dear life. She watched her feet dangle into the steady darkness that waited down below, fear creeping into her slowly. Rain pelted her from above in a consistent onslaught and she tried to climb.

The root slipped, dipping her a little further into the darkness. She yelled again, knowing if she fell now she'd never see either of the dog demons in her life again.

"Help! Someone! Please help me!" Her voice was becoming hoarse, tears slipping down her face and dread sliding into her thoughts. Kagome's eyes were adjusted to the darkness now, and she could see where the root was protruding. It wasn't going to be able to hold her very much longer. The weight of herself plus the addition of her rain soaked clothes…

It creaked, bits of broken earth tumbling down into her hair. She might as well face it. Kagome was going to die. The root gave way, and she fell. She screamed.

Suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. Her mouth gaped at her swinging feet below, before she turned her gaze upwards.

Sesshoumaru held her hand tightly in his own as he glared down her angrily. Kagome looked back down to the darkness again. It was suddenly looking a lot more inviting. With a strong heave, she was out of the hole and into Sesshoumaru's arms.

"I, I-" Kagome muttered, clutching the once white fabric of his robes.

"Shut up." He barked, pulling her tight. "Don't say anything to me right now."

Kagome nodded, burying her face in shame. She hadn't meant for them to fight, for it to end this way. He gathered her up in his arms, leaping into the air and floating, his fur leaving a trail behind them. After what seemed like ages, Sesshoumaru dropped down his feet gently landing on the main steps of the shrine. He released her, the both of them soaked from the rain.

Kagome didn't release him. His robes were captured tightly in her fists.

"Release me."

"No." She looked at him, eyes a fury of emotions. "I said I was sorry."

Sesshoumaru sighed, grabbing her in a one armed hug, lowering his chin to the top of her head. "You are forgiven…for this time. Let us remove ourselves from the rain."

They walked inside, the room warm from the fire they had left. Kagome squeezed the water out of her hair, climbing close to the fire to warm her cold hands. Sesshoumaru made no effort to dry off sitting opposite of her in front of the fire.

"Sesshoumaru, I don't know what I'll do. If he's not alive, there's no reason for me to be here. I was afraid before because Inuyasha was the only thing that I had in this world, and now I'm afraid because he's not." Kagome met Sesshoumaru's unwavering eyes as she spoke. "I'm in love with you. Whether or not we find Inuyasha won't change that. It only makes everything so much more complicated."

Sesshoumaru lifted his hand, beckoning her to his side. Kagome obliged, moving beside him. He wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest. Leaning, he planted a kiss at the base of her neck. No words, but words weren't what she needed right now.

"Let's get you out of those wet clothes." He murmured.

Kagome nodded. "Let's."

Sesshoumaru turned her around so Kagome faced him. He cupped her face with his right hand, slowly slid his hand down to her neckline and then her right shoulder, sliding off the wet fabric to reveal her milky white skin. There were a few scars, leftover from her ordeal. She'd have to carry the burden of them her whole life.

Kagome felt her cheeks redden, the gentleness of his touch sending electric shocks through her body. He untied the obi that held her yukata closed, the fabric falling down to the floor with a thud. He moved both hands to her exposed collarbone, sliding his fingers underneath the damp fabric and splaying them outward, moving the fabric away from her breasts.

Kagome let out a gasp. _God!_ She thought, biting her lower lip. _I never expected this from him_. Sesshoumaru leaned forward, his long silver hair fanning across her bare skin as he lowered his mouth to kiss the swell of her breasts, cupping them in his hands. A moan escaped Kagome's lips.

He drew away, pulling the rest of the fabric away from her and tossing it near the fire where it would dry. Kagome had been naked around him numerous times, but this time it was different. He saw her truly now. His gaze upon her making the butterflies in her stomach burst into rapturous flight. There, naked in front of him, she did not think her face could get any redder.

"Come," he beckoned, removing the kimono top from himself, revealing his bare chest to her. He dropped the fabric around Kagome's shoulders and pulled her close. The skin of their chests caressed as Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her.

"You're warm," Kagome said with yawn before planting a gentle kiss on his chest.

He nodded, leaning back making the position more comfortable for both of them. Kagome leaned into him resting her head in the crook of his neck. His hair surrounded them like a silvery curtain. Kagome was comforted.

"I would like to make you my woman." Sesshoumaru murmured into the soft darkness of her hair. "But not until you're ready. No interruptions. No distractions."

Kagome swallowed hard, smiling and nodding in agreement against his neck. She fell quiet, his offer stirring up too many emotions for her to even begin to handle. Her eyelids grew heavy and slowly Kagome drifted into sleep happily in Sesshoumaru's arms.


	9. Chapter 8 Nothingness

I apologize in the length in which it took me to update the story. I have been working on it! This was a hard chapter for me to write and I know probably the next chapter and the last chapter will be even harder. Please bear with me. Thank you to all the people who add my story to their favorites and leave comments. It means so much to me. I'm in a writing group now, so maybe I will be able to stay motivated and finish this story once and for all!

xoxo

Saru

**Disclaimers**:

I do not own _Inuyasha _nor am I making any money off of this story.

**Chapter 8**

**Nothingness**

It was cold when she woke shivering. The fire had long gone out, leaving only smoking embers. Kagome realized she was still naked and that Sesshoumaru was nowhere in sight. Teeth chattering, she stood and made her way to where her wet kimono had been tossed aside the night before. It was somewhat dry now, at least dry enough to put on. As she wrapped the fabric around her, her fingers lingered over her collarbone, remembering Sesshoumaru's fingers there.

"_I would like to make you my woman."_ Kagome blushed, his sultry voice echoing in her mind. She shivered. She never thought she'd hear those words spoken to her, especially by Sesshoumaru of all people. Sure Kouga had said the phrase to her, but she had never taken it to heart.

The sliding door to the temple opened and Sesshoumaru appeared with a regal gust of wind behind him, throwing a few bits of dead leaves into the temple before he slid the door shut behind him. His amber eyes moved to gaze at Kagome, then where Kagome's hands were placed on herself.

Kagome quickly jerked her hands away from where they rested, planted them at her sides. "Um, good morning."

"Good morning. I take it you slept well?"

"Yes," she murmured, trying to tame her hair with her fingertips. She was certain she must look a horrible mess. "I slept fine."

Sesshoumaru nodded, making his way to her side and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. Kagome closed her eyes and released a sigh, relishing in this newfound attention. He leaned against one of the columns inside of the temple, eyes closing in thought before the gurgle of Kagome's stomach echoed.

"Oops. Guess I'm hungry." She muttered placing a hand over her stomach as an embarrassed smile crept across her lips.

"Would you like me to obtain food for you?"

"Oh, no, it's not necessary. I remember seeing some berries growing nearby yesterday while we made our way here. If you don't mind, I think I would enjoy some time to myself. No offense."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her. It was clear he did not like the idea.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. If I need help I'll call for you. You promise to come help me?"

He sighed and nodded. "Just be careful."

"I will." She took her fingers and slid them across his sleeve before walking past him and out of the temple, sliding the door shut behind her.

Kagome took a deep gulp of fresh air and released it, wondering how she even managed to get herself in this situation. If her future self had found her and said "Guess what, you're going to be in love with Sesshoumaru! You want to know what is even weirder than that? He loves you back!" Kagome probably would have laughed in her face. It was still a difficult thing to fathom herself and she was caught in the middle of it.

Her walk was peaceful; the shade of the trees making an illusion of night with the overcast skies above. Kagome easily found the berry bushes from yesterday and picked as many as she could carry. She also searched around for any useful herbs that she might need in the future. As she looked around, she began to notice that her surroundings were a little familiar. Carefully, she walked on.

After a few minutes of walking (and eating berries), her foot connected with a root and she tripped. She braced herself for the fall, hands down before her. Kagome's face stared down a hole, the same hole she fell in the night before. She watched as little clumps of dirt fell down, down into the darkness.

Once she managed to catch her breath, she squirmed carefully away so she could stand on her feet. She leaned over the hole, getting another look. This time she heard something. Water. She hadn't heard it last night because of the rain and because of her fear, but now she could hear it clearly. _Hadn't Sesshoumaru said that he felt Inuyasha's presence? _ Sesshoumaru was a dog demon, and Kagome vaguely remembered an old western movie she once watched. The sheriffs used bloodhounds to catch criminals, but the criminal's scent was lost in the water. Maybe that was why Sesshoumaru couldn't "smell" Inuyasha.

She gulped. Kagome knew from last night it was a long way down, but at least with the sunlight she could somewhat see the ground. _If Inuyasha is down there, I'll risk it,_ she thought, finding a long root from the tree in front of the hole. She wrapped her hands around it, tugging as hard as she could a few times to make sure it was secure.

Looking down, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing!" She called before swinging on the root down into the hole. She screamed and mid fall the root gave way and she fell the rest of the way down before landing to the earth with a _thunk_. The rock was hard, and she hit her head against the stone, blacking out.

"_Love, I have to leave for a while. Will you be alright?" Fake Kagome crooned, running her hands through sleeping Inuyasha's black hair. He made a sound of disproval. _

"_Don't leave me alone, I can't live without you."_

_Fake Kagome smiled, red eyes glistening. She lifted Inuyasha's face to hers in a kiss._

"_It's only for a bit. You won't even notice I'm gone." She stood, patting the top of his head. "I think maybe soon I can give you your demon powers back. A human body isn't suited for someone of your stature."_

_She moved to the opposite side of the cave, pulling a cloak around her. Inuyasha stared longingly at her. _

"_Are you sure I can't go with you? I won't be a bother."_

"_Hush pet. It's dangerous for you to go into the forest as a human. You're still weak from your injuries. I promise when you get stronger we can go everywhere together."_

_Inuyasha smiled. "I'd like that."_

_Fake Kagome grinned, teeth sharpened to points. She nodded. "I would too, but for now I must leave. Be good while I'm gone love."_

_She waved goodbye and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Inuyasha all alone._

About half an hour had passed after his Kagome had left and Inuyasha already missed her. It was hard finding things to do while she was gone. He would count the stones in water around their open home, but even that bored him rather quickly. Inuyasha sat and closed his eyes and thought of his beautiful, red eyed Kagome. She took care of him, nursed him back to health. He loved her very much.

A piercing shriek filled the cave suddenly, causing him to jump to his feet in alarm. It was so loud, his hands slapped over his human ears, face contorted into a grimace. It silenced soon after with a thud, the echo of it drifting throughout the caverns.

"What was that?" He said to himself, peering as far as his eyesight would stretch into the darkness of the cave. No one was ever around besides Kagome and himself, so he was a bit curious. He began to walk, stepping over the water pool and towards the entrance of the cave.

Kagome's eyes slowly opened sending bright patches of white across her vision. Her head ached and she looked up at the bleak stream of sunlight shining down upon her. She winced, fingers moving to grace the back of her head. Blood was smeared across her hand. It ached, but it wasn't bleeding much.

"That's going to smart, good idea Kagome. Just jump through the hole, you'll be fiiiiine." She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. "Now I'm stuck down here."

She looked around her. It was a cave, not a hole like she had first thought, complete with tunnel ways. It was obvious that someone was using this as a home, as there were man-made (or demon-made) etchings on the rocky surface of the cave walls. She crawled to one of the walls and braced herself with it to stand, just in case her vision went blurry. She had a moment of slight disorientation, so she knew she had a concussion.

"Damn," she muttered and then sighed. "I still need to look around."

She stumbled her way down one of the dark corridors of the cavern, wishing she had a flashlight or a match. The rocky floor scraped the bottom of her feet but she trudged on. As she walked, she swore she could hear someone else with her, but it was much too dark for her to see. Kagome paused, trying to quiet her laborious breathing in order to see if she was right.

An arm grabbed hers tightly and Kagome screamed as she was thrown down to the ground, hands catching the stone below her. Whoever it was, they were strong and she suddenly felt sick. _I shouldn't have come down here alone. What was I thinking?_

The arm hefted her to her feet without a sound, dragging her with such strength further into the darkness. She dug her heels into the ground, trying to resist, but it only butchered the skin on her feet. Her voice echoed and each scream seemed to last longer than the one before it.

"Shut up!" An angry voice yelled to her, it almost sounded like a growl. It was deep, but it sounded familiar. Before she could look at her captor, he tossed her into an area where torches were lit. She stumbled, falling into one of the many small pools of water that gathered inside of the cave. The cold water splashed her face, she reeled her head around to see her captor…

It was Inuyasha, standing before her with his arms crossed. It was him! He was alive! He was in human form though, and suddenly Kagome tried to remember if the moon was gone. Tears formed in her eyes, as she almost choked on happiness.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" She screamed his name, jumping to her feet and running to him arms open wide. His brown eyes opened in shock as he put up his arms, grabbing hers and pushing her away from him.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"It's me! It's me Inuyasha! Don't you remember?" Tears streamed down her face as she tried to hold him, she just wanted to make sure he was real!

"No! I don't know who you are! How did you find this place?"

Kagome stared at him, her eyebrows knit in pain. She had found Inuyasha at last…but he didn't know who she was. Her arms slumped, slowly releasing him. The slack of her arms slid out of Inuyasha's, and he watched as they dropped to her sides. There was silence between them for a moment before Kagome shuddered, looking up at him. Her chocolate eyes were spilling tears down her cheeks.

"I'm Kagome, Inuyasha. We've shared so much together. I'm the one who freed you from Kikyo's sacred arrow when you were trapped to a tree. You don't remember me at all?" She raised a hand to touch his face, and he slapped her hand away before she could touch him.

"You are NOT Kagome." Inuyasha spat to the floor, his brown human eyes staring at Kagome with such hatred, it was almost too much for her to bear. "Who sent you here? Are you after my Kagome?"

Kagome felt the swirl of nausea hit her stomach as she fought so hard to keep the tears away. Her vision blurred into watery shifting shapes of color. She had searched all this time and he didn't even know her. Her sadness quickly turned to anger.

"I guess I'm not your Kagome! I guess I would have been better off just thinking you were dead. Is that what you wanted me to do?" She looked at him, and saw that he looked at her as if she were really a stranger. She hiccupped and it sounded like a mix between a laugh and a sob.

"I guess it is. I feel so stupid." She couldn't stop her tears now. They flowed down her cheeks as the pain from her fall was suddenly hit her at full force. Slumping to the ground, she hid her face behind her hands, trying to quiet her sobs.

"You're bleeding…" Inuyasha's voice was low, and she slowly lifted her eyes to him. He inspected her blood across his fingertips as if it would make him understand. "I don't know where you came from, but I'm sorry you're so sad. I don't know you and it's probably best that we get you out of here before Ka- I mean, um…"

At least he was being considerate enough to not use the terms "Fake Kagome" and "Real Kagome". Inuyasha helped her to her feet, ushering her down the path that she had came. She saw the light from the sun peeking through the hole that she had fallen through.

"There's no way I can get back up there." She remarked, not even making eye contact with him. It wasn't as if she actually wanted to leave. His fingers wrapped around her hand were so warm and familiar. How could he not know who she was?

"You'll have to go another way then. There should be an exit around here somewhere…" Inuyasha slid his hand against the rock before the image waivered revealing a small tunnel with a ladder leading upwards. "That will take you back up."

"Will you go with me? You don't need to be down here." Kagome was worried. Even if he didn't remember her, it was hard not bringing him along. She loved him.

"I have to stay here. Go," and as Inuyasha said the words, a melodic humming began to echo through the cave tunnels. "She's coming! Go! If she finds you here she'll kill you!"

A sharp pain drove into her. Even if Inuyasha didn't remember anything, he still was trying to protect her. Kagome couldn't help herself. She threw herself forward from the ladder, placing her lips against his quickly in a kiss.

"I love you. I always will. Come back to me if you remember."

Inuyasha stared at her blankly as she fought not to turn back a million times, climbing up and up that ladder until she met a wooden door that she opened. She was in the same forest, only a few feet away from the hole she had fallen through.

She managed to walk a few steps before giving up and laying down in the grass.

_All this searching, all this despair and for what? He doesn't even remember me…_ Tears began to fall from her eyes again, sinking into the grass down into the soil. _I don't know what's worse,_ she thought her voice choking back sobs, _Inuyasha being dead or him not even remembering me…_

"You found him."

The voice made her snap out of her misery for a moment as her eyes looked up. Sesshoumaru stood before her, crouching down to stroke her blood matted hair. His face changed into a frown.

"And you're bleeding."

"I fell."

"Why are you crying? Is he –"

"No, he's alive. He doesn't remember anything. He didn't even recognize me. All this time…All this time I've spent looking for him and he doesn't even have the decency to remember me!"

Sesshoumaru gathered her in his arms, cradling her close. She let all of her tears out. _I'm not going to cry for him anymore…_ Kagome thought as she buried her face in Sesshoumaru's chest.

"He is probably under a spell or a curse. Did you notice anything odd about him other than his memory loss?" Sesshoumaru asked as he helped Kagome to her feet. She slowly nodded her head.

"He was in human form. I was trying to remember what the moon cycle was, he transforms into a human during the new moon phase."

"The moon was full last night," Sesshoumaru added, looking down the hole Kagome had fallen in the night before.

"Leave him," she murmured knowing what he was thinking. "It hurts me to say it but I don't want to do anything that might get him harmed. He said that 'someone' was coming back. I assume it's probably the caster of this…curse, spell, whatever." Kagome rubbed her temples. "It's too much, I'm tired."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It is a lot to process. It would be best if we figure things out before any actions are made."

Of course she knew Sesshoumaru was saying that for her sake. If it were up to him, he'd just burst in there and leave a blood bath behind him.

"Let's head back to the temple," Kagome whispered against the fabric of his robes. Her feet and hands stung, her head throbbed and her eyes were red and tired from all the tears. "I just don't want to think about anything else right now."

Sesshoumaru nodded, pressing her body tight to his in an embrace before leaping into the air taking flight, his course set on the temple.


	10. Chapter 9 Joined

AN: Sorry it took me so long to get you guys this chapter! I wanted it to be perfect! There's also a lemon and I've marked the beginning of it with a ** and goes until the chapter break. I don't SUGGEST skipping it, but I understand that some people don't like reading that sort of thing. ;)

ENJOY! Only one more chapter till my story is wrapped up! Thank you all for supporting Lingering Fingertips and leaving such nice comments

**Chapter 9**

**Joined**

Sesshoumaru's footsteps tapped the old stone pathway that led to the abandoned temple as he floated down from flight. Kagome arms were wrapped tightly around him, her fingers clutching his robes. He hadn't spoken a word on the way back and neither had she.

It still hadn't set in. Inuyasha was alive, she had placed her hands on him herself. He had no recollection of her whatsoever. He must be bewitched. What if it was more than that though? What if he really had fallen in love with another woman who shared her name? The twinge of tears pricked her vision as she sucked in a tight breath, doing everything in her power not to cry.

He sensed it. He must have. Sesshoumaru weaved his clawed fingers into her dark hair, cupping her face and lifting it so her chocolate eyes gazed into his amber ones. His face was the same stoic face she had come to know so well and yet even though his expression didn't change, she could see every word he didn't say behind those same colored eyes he shared with his half-brother. It was too much.

He lowered his lips to hers in a kiss, one that shook her very being. They were gentle, reassuring, two things she never thought a kiss from Sesshoumaru would feel like. By the time he moved his mouth away from hers, she was out of breath, and her knuckles were white from clutching him so hard.

"I'm yours," she whispered against the cloth, cheeks red. She realized the words that had just escaped her mouth, but she couldn't take them back. She wouldn't have said them if she hadn't meant them.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head, kissing Kagome's temple. He scooped her up into his arms, and Kagome found herself leaning her head on his shoulder as he opened the temple doors and carried her inside. The braziers were still lit and they had filled the temple with warmth that it probably hadn't had for many years. He sat her down and began dabbing at the dried blood on the back of her head with a cloth.

"I'm worried about this wound, it has you talking strangely. Are you sure you are alright?"

It made Kagome even more frustrated.

"What do you mean I'm talking strangely? It's not because of my stupid head wound. Inuyasha doesn't care about me anymore." Even now she felt like such a child, her lip pouted and tears threatened to fall from her lashes.

"I told you before, he's bewitched." Sesshoumaru's eyes took an angry stare back at her as he paused in his attempt to clean the blood from the back of her head. "He doesn't remember you. Don't act so rash."

"I meant what I said, Lord Sesshoumaru," she spat at him, using his title as an insult. "I'm yours now. Aren't you happy? Or should I just go back and jump down the hole again head first? I'm sure that would make you and your brother very-"

He silenced her with his mouth, grabbing her hands and pushing her backward against the old wood floor. Her head thumped against the floor, causing her to whimper, but Sesshoumaru did not release her. He broke the kiss only when she stopped fighting against his strength. Defeated, Kagome stared up at him, her brown doe eyes red-rimmed.

"Why must you be so infuriating, woman? Can you not just accept that I do not wish to take advantage of you when you are in this kind of mental state? Do you not realize it is just as hard for me? I have told you my feelings, yet I know how you feel about my Halfling brother. I know you care for me, but you care for him more, even now I can see it in your gaze. It angers me. I wish for nothing less than to take you right now on this floor, to heal all of the wounds you have, but that is asking too much of me."

He moved away from her then and she could feel his anger in the air; electric shocks that sent her hair on edge. Her head hurt and her feet ached and guilt seeped down to her very core. This whole dilemma wasn't just about her and her feelings, it included his as well, something she had been selfish to not consider.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru," she murmured in a voice barely above a whisper. Even if he made no move to acknowledge it, Kagome knew he had heard her. She turned her gaze toward his back, gathering her courage. "I meant what I said though."

"Do not tempt me." He replied turning his head to look back at her, brows knitted in anger. His expression sent Kagome's heartbeat into thunder; she swore it shook the walls of the temple with the strength of the sounds.

"What if…" she whispered, pushing herself to her feet and untying the sash that held her yukata closed. It slid away through her fingertips, the cloth falling to the floor. She made a step forward to Sesshoumaru, her brown eyes never leaving him. The yukata slowly slid off of her shoulders, revealing her nakedness to him. She stopped an arm's length in front of him before Kagome allowed the cloth to fall to the floor.

"What if….I want you to tempt me?" She finished, the hints of a smile twitching at her lips. "I'm yours tonight, no matter what happens. Can we just have that?"

Sesshoumaru reached his arm out towards her, cupping her cheek before his fingers slid down to the skin of her throat where they rested at the base. His fingertips were warm against her skin, causing goose bumps to prickle across her skin and her nipples to tighten to peaks.

Kagome drew a sharp breath as his fingers moved lower, down across her breasts to move across the soft skin of her belly. Blood pumped in her ears as she felt her cheeks redden, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. Sesshoumaru removed his hands from her body, and the sudden loss of them caused her to look up into his eyes. Did he not want this?

"Remove my clothes," he commanded his voice low and husky. Something about the sound of it caused tingles in her bottom half.

"As you wish," she murmured, moving towards him, fingers grasping the yellow sash and untying it. She moved to his armor, carefully unfastening it and placing it gently on the floor. Returning to him, she had slid her fingers underneath the cloth of his kimono when Sesshoumaru's hand grabbed her wrist. Kagome squeaked from surprise when his lips pressed against hers. She parted her lips for his, a flick of tongue playing against her own. He removed his kimono so he stood bare-chested before her.

"You were taking too long." He commented, a hint of a smile playing across his lips, though his brows showed he was irritated. It caused a laugh to emerge from Kagome's mouth before Sesshoumaru silenced her once again with his own.

Kagome's hand splayed across the lily white skin of his chest. It was toned, and there were scars from battles fought. He was beautiful. She unfastened his hakama, and slowly moved her hands down his thighs, urging the fabric to the floor.

Finally, the two of them stood naked before each other. Kagome blushed, the realization of it all taking away the brash confidence she had earlier.

"You're beautiful." Sesshoumaru breathed, his voice already thickening with desire as well as something else. Kagome caught a glimpse and forced herself to look at his face, even though an unbearable heat burned her cheeks and the tops of her ears.

"So are you." She whispered, as he closed the gap between them. He kissed her hungrily, making up for every kiss he had wanted to give her, but hadn't. Kagome kissed him back, standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling herself to him. Sesshoumaru's hands moved along the curves of her body, grabbing the curves of her bottom and clutching them with his palms. They kissed and kissed, fumbling about each other as if they were two teenagers.

Sesshoumaru bit the skin of Kagome's neck, and she moaned gripping his shoulders before his mouth planted kisses along her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone until he found her breasts. He sucked her nipples into peaks, one breast at a time, Kagome moaning. Sesshoumaru laid her down on his furs before he moved further, kissing down her chest, her stomach, before he went lower and kissed between her legs.

She gasped, the sudden feeling of pleasure flooding over her as he continued to lick, kiss and suck at her pearl.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome panted, barely able to speak from the amount of pleasure welling up inside of her. "I-"

"Hush." He snapped at her before returning to his work. He slipped a finger inside of her, stroking that sweet spot while he continued licking her clit. Kagome moaned and gasped as she began to feel a warmth welling inside her like a cup being filled to the very brim. All it took was a quick flick of tongue, and she cried out in pleasure, stars and comets sparkling across her vision as she called out Sesshoumaru's name through panted yells.

He brought her again, with his fingers this time, and she writhed in pleasure, unable to lay still any longer when he removed his fingers from her, rubbing the wetness across his now hard penis.

"Kagome," He murmured and she understood. She managed to come to her senses enough to nod, before she took him into her mouth, working her tongue up and down his shaft. Sesshoumaru was large and thick, but he was not forceful. He let Kagome take what she could into her mouth and work at her own pace. She interchanged between her mouth and her palm, sliding it up and down his shaft until he pulled her away, and pushed her back down onto the furs.

She stared up with him, her chocolate eyes entranced by his amber ones, as if they looked past her and into her heart and soul.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice deep and husky. Even now he was worried.

"Yes. No matter what happens we have this night." She replied, before Sesshoumaru leaned down to kiss her, sliding inside of her gently. She cried out in pain, she was not used to encompassing such a large girth, but he went slow, slipping in and out until her cries of pain turned to cries of pleasure. He pumped into her, his strong arms lifting her to his chest, as they clumsily angled their bodies trying to take as much of each other in.

Kagome learned Sesshoumaru's rhythm, meeting his thrusts with a sway of her hips, trying her best to make sure she had every bit of him inside of her. She felt herself slowly reach that plateau of pleasure before she came again, the inside of her body tightening around Sesshoumaru's hard dick. He didn't stop his pace, not for her, and he brought her again and again before he finally called out her name in a breathy whisper before pulling out and spilling his seed on her stomach.

They both fell, panting and exhausted with pleasure, a slick sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Sesshoumaru held her close, as if she would try to get away. Kagome dozed in and out of sleep, completely and utterly exhausted and fulfilled, more than she had ever been in her life. She dozed into a restful sleep, and was awakened by Sesshoumaru's arms gripping her and pulling her up.

"Wha?" She asked, eyes half open as she tried to figure out what was going on. He said nothing, only carried her into the chilly night air, past trees and shrubs until they reached a grove of thick bamboo and a small hot spring. When her body hit the warm water, she cooed, the warmth a blessing.

Sesshoumaru cradled her in his arms, the same way he had done when they had spent that first night together in the cave. Here they were naked and entwined in each other's arms, something Kagome supposed neither of them thought would happen. Kagome nuzzled into his neck, planting kisses there, the warmth bringing her back to full awareness.

"I love you," she whispered against the flesh of his neck. She didn't expect an answer. She honestly didn't want to hear one. She loved him in her own way, and yet, even after everything, she still loved Inuyasha. It was different, but it was still there. She couldn't forget it. Tears pricked at her eyes but she kept them at bay. She wouldn't ruin this moment with tears.

Sesshoumaru took her again at the spring, both of them coming together, grasping onto one another like they were the only two beings left in the world. They bathed, and then walked back to the temple together hand in hand. Sesshoumaru added wood to the dying embers in the pit, stoking it back into a fire before joining Kagome on the furs. He wrapped her in his arms, pressing her naked body close to his own. Kagome drifted into an easy sleep, warm and sated, and happy for the first time in months.

_Inuyasha slept in a frightful sleep next to his red-eyed Kagome. Her fingers were tangled in the black of his human hair, as she was in a restful sleep, her partner was not. Sweat drenched Inuyasha's brow, as he tossed and turned. He couldn't erase the image of the girl he had seen in the cave: how that girl had known him, approached him with such a look of relief. Her name was Kagome, just like the woman that lay beside him, but he couldn't remember anything about her. He couldn't remember how his red eyed lover had met him, or fallen in love with him. _

_But with the thoughts of this new Kagome, came memories flooding. Her yelling at him, the brown in her eyes giving him such an intense gaze. Another time, clutching his robes, calling to him as he lost his senses, doing the only thing she could to bring him back, kissing him._

_The same kiss he had given her, for some unknown reason, when she left. At first he had been angry that she had found her way into his and his love's cave, but after seeing her, seeing how relieved and happy she was to see HIM, was any of this real?_

_Images of this new Kagome and himself holding hands, sharing gazes, arguing, kissing, making love…It all flooded back to him-and then he finally woke._


End file.
